Judging in the Light of Scripture

How many times have we heard others say, “Judge not, that you be not judged, (Matthew 7:1), making it sound as if we won’t have to stand in judgment ourselves if we do not judge others. However, this is not what this verse means. Ecclesiastes 3:17 reads, “God will judge the righteous and the wicked, for there is a time for every matter and for every work.”

Matthew 7:3-5 goes on to say, “Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.” In other words, we will be guilty of hypocrisy if we even attempt to deal with a ‘brother’ or ‘sister’s’ transgression- IF we are in unrepentant sin ourselves.

Matthew 7:6 tells us “Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.” Jesus makes it clear in this verse that shortly follows verse 1 that says “Do not judge, that you be not judged,”- that we must make a judgment on those who would be considered ‘dogs’ or ‘swine’ that we need to beware of.

Jesus said,”The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day. For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak” (John 12:48-49).

In other words, we will all be judged by the word of God, “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). We cannot judge another person’s heart, “Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God” (1 Corinthians 4:5). However, we are to judge clear violations of the commands of God’s law.

John 7:24 tells us, “Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.” We can judge (in the sense of determining whether an action is right or wrong) only in the light of scripture, not according to what we ‘think’, or how things may appear to be, but only with right judgment according to the truth of God’s word and knowledge of His law.Matthew 7:15-16 tells us to “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits.” 

 In 2 Corinthians 13:5 we are told to, “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test” (2 Corinthians 13:5)! Jesus said, “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it” (Matthew 7:25-27).

Our desire should be to act out of love for others with the desire to see them follow after Christ, and so our judging must be done in the light of this, in order to steer others toward obedience to scripture’s teaching, so that they would become more and more like Christ. This is the way God judges us, and this is how we should want others to judge us as well, “For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you” (Matthew 7:2). When we fail to judge according to the truth of scripture’s teaching, we fail to display a true Christ-like love to others.